Cortical vein thrombosis in adult patients of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis correlates with poor outcome and brain lesions: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Cortical vein thrombosis (CVT) receives little attention in adult patients with cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST). This study aimed to investigate the clinical and radiological features of adult CVST patients with concomitant CVT. METHODS: From May 2009 to May 2016, we recruited 44 adult CVST patients (diagnosed within 1 month of onset; 33.8 ± 14.0 years of age, 28 males). CVT was primarily confirmed using computed tomography venography and magnetic resonance imaging sequence of contrast enhanced three dimensions magnetization prepared rapid acquisition with gradient echo. Patients with concomitant CVT were divided into the CVT group; otherwise, the patients were placed into the non-CVT group. The clinico-radiological characteristics were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The CVT group included 27 patients (61.4%), and the non-CVT group included 17 patients (38.6%). Seizure (63.0% versus 11.8%), focal neurological deficits (44.4% versus 5.9%), and consciousness disorders (33.3% versus 0) occurred more frequently in the patients in the CVT group than in those of the non-CVT group (P < 0.05). The modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score at discharge was higher for the CVT group patients (median 2, range 1-4) than for the non-CVT group patients (median 0, range 0-4) (P < 0.001). Venous infarction (63.0% versus 11.8%), parenchymal hemorrhage (40.7% versus 5.9%), and subarachnoid hemorrhage (22.2% versus 0) were identified more frequently in the CVT group than in the non-CVT group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that concomitant CVT is a common finding in adult patients with CVST and is associated with severe clinical manifestations, poor short-term outcomes, and brain lesions.

Quantitative Evaluation of Diffusion and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR in Tumor Parenchyma and Peritumoral Area for Distinction of Brain Tumors.

PURPOSE: To quantitatively evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of parameters from diffusion and dynamic contrast-enhanced MR which based on tumor parenchyma (TP) and peritumoral (PT) area in classification of brain tumors. METHODS: 45 patients (male: 23, female: 22; mean age: 46 y) were prospectively recruited and they underwent conventional, DCE-MR and DWI examination. With each tumor, 10-15 regions of interest (ROIs) were manually placed on TP and PT area. ADC and permeability parameters (Ktrans, Ve, Kep and iAUC) were calculated and their diagnostic efficiency was assessed. RESULTS: In TP, all permeability parameters and ADC value could significantly discriminate Low- from High grade gliomas (HGG) (p<0.001); among theses parameters, Ve demonstrated the highest diagnostic power (iAUC: 0.79, cut-off point: 0.15); the most sensitive and specific index for gliomas grading were Ktrans (84%) and Kep (89%). While, in PT area, only Ktrans could help in gliomas grading (P = 0.009, cut-off point: 0.03 min-1). Moreover, in TP, mean Ve and iAUC of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and metastases were significantly higher than that in HGG (p<0.003). Further, in PT area, mean Ktrans (p≤0.004) could discriminate PCNSL from HGG and ADC (p≤0.003) could differentiate metastases with HGG. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative ADC and permeability parameters from Diffusion and DCE-MR in TP and PT area, especially DCE-MR, can aid in gliomas grading and brain tumors discrimination. Their combined application is strongly recommended in the differential diagnosis of these tumor entities.

[Clinicopathologic characteristics of unusual rhabdoid glioblastoma].

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the clinicopathologic features of rhabdoid glioblastoma of the brain and its differential diagnoses. METHODS: A 10-year-old and a 45-year-old female both presented with gradually worsening headache, limbs twitch and blurred vision. MRI scan revealed a contrast enhancing tumor in the right temporal lobe and left cerebellum respectively. Both patients underwent tumor resection, followed by postoperative radiotherapy and chemotherapy. RESULTS: Microscopic examination of both tumors showed rhabdoid tumor cells with an eccentric nuclei and eosinophilic cytoplasms. Both tumors had areas of classic glioblastoma with microvascular proliferation and necrosis. Immunohistochemical staining showed the rhabdoid tumor cells were positive for vimentin diffusely and GFAP, EMA, CK focally. Integrase interactor (INI-1) was expressed in most tumor cells, but IDH1 R132H was not detected in both tumors. Fluorescence in situ hybridization revealed 1p/19q co-deletion in one case. One patient was alive without tumor recurrence after 16 months follow-up, the other patient died of intraspinal tumor dissemination 9 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Rhabdoid glioblastoma is a rare glial cell tumor with specific rhabdoid tumor cells, a highly aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. Combining histological features, a panel of selected immunostains including vimentin, GFAP, CK, EMA, SMA and INI-1 is helpful in making an accurate diagnosis for those diagnostically challenging cases with rhabdoid features in central nervous system.

Malignant gangliocytic paraganglioma of the duodenum with distant metastases and a lethal course.

Gangliocytic paraganglioma (GP) is rare and has been regarded as benign in general with a good prognosis. We present a patient with duodenal GP showing a malignant and lethal clinical course. A 47-year-old male patient was found to have a duodenal tumor and enlarged regional lymph nodes. The patient initially underwent a pancreaticoduodenectomy to resect the tumor and involved lymph nodes completely. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses showed findings typical of GP. However, the distant metastatic lesions in the liver and pelvic cavity were rapidly observed after surgery. The patient underwent chemotherapy and radiotherapy, as well as a second surgery to partly remove the metastatic mass in the pelvic cavity. The histological examination revealed no significant difference in histological features between the primary duodenal tumor and the metastatic pelvic mass. However, the patient finally died of the tumor due to the recurrence of the residual pelvic lesion and increased liver mass. To our knowledge, this is the first report of lethal GP with multifocal metastases. Our case confirms that GP should be regarded as a malignant potential tumor with behavior code of "1", rather than a benign tumor of "0".

Intraspinal dural-based primary osteoblastoma with aneurysmal bone cyst-like change.

Osteoblastoma is a benign bone-forming neoplasm that occurs commonly in the posterior elements of the spine and the sacrum. However, so far there has been no report of intradural osteoblastoma described in the literature. We present a unique case of intraspinal dural-based osteoblastoma with aneurysmal bone cyst-like change without evidence of vertebral involvement. An 11-year-old Chinese girl presented with a 3-month history of gradually progressive back pain and a weakness of both lower limbs. Thoracic MRI revealed a well-demarcated subdural mass at the T5 level with heterogeneous enhancement. Histologically, the tumor was found to be attached to the dura and composed of numerous osteoid spicules and trabecular bone with diffusely scattered osteoclast-type, multinucleated giant cells. Ectactic blood vessels and blood-filled cystic spaces were also observed. A diagnosis of primary intraspinal dural-based osteoblastoma with aneurysmal bone cyst-like change was made. To our best knowledge, this is possibly the first case of primary osteoblastoma arising from meninges. Meningeal osteocartilaginous tumors are rare, with obscure histogenesis. The differential diagnosis of osteoblastoma in unusual locations is difficult and the confirmation of diagnosis should be cautiously made. Awareness of dural-based osteoblastoma and its histological features is important to avoid a diagnostic pitfall caused by histological similarities to other intra-craniospinal lesions with osteoid differentiation or bone formation.

Wandering spleen with torsion and complete infarction.

Wandering spleen is rare and is associated with a high incidence of splenic torsion and infarction. Presenting symptoms range from an asymptomatic, incidentally palpated abdominal mass to an acutely ill patient. Because wandering spleen is uncommon in the pediatric population, a heightened awareness of the condition is required for accurate diagnosis and appropriate management. We present a case of a 4-year-old girl who presented with acute abdomen and was surgically confirmed to have a wandering spleen with torsion and complete infarction.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma: MR imaging findings in 19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA) is a rare and special type of astrocytoma which occurs in childhood and adolescence, and usually with a favorable prognosis. Since its initial description, PXA cases have been reported infrequently in the literature, mostly as single cases or small series. PURPOSE: To review the imaging characteristics of PXA. MATERIAL AND METHODS: MR imaging findings of 19 pathologically confirmed PXAs were retrospectively analyzed and correlated with the clinical and pathological features. RESULTS: The clinical presentation in 18 patients included: dizziness (8); headache (9); and epilepsy (8). One patient was asymptomatic. On MR imaging, the tumors were located in the brain surface (17), thalamus (1) or deep in the right frontal lobe (1). The tumors were cystic (4), mixed cystic-solid (7), or solid (8) with well-defined (11) or poorly-defined borders (8). Peritumoral edema was marked (8), mild (9) or absent (2). Cystic components of tumors were hypointense on T1- and hyperintense on T2-weighted images whereas the solid components of tumors were hypointense or isointense on T1- and slightly hyperintense on T2-weighted images. There was marked (10), moderate (7) or no (2) contrast enhancement in the solid tumors with surrounding leptomeningeal enhancement (7). The tumors were located in the frontal lobes (8), temporal lobes (7), occipital lobe (1), cerebellum (1), thalamus (1), and sellar region (1). Histologically, 18 tumors were classified as WHO grade 2 comprising of pleomorphic giant cells, spindle cells and foamy cells. One PXA with anaplastic features was composed of pleomorphic polygonal cells and spindle cells, and with high mitotic activity ( ≥5 mitoses per 10 HPF). Immunohistochemical reactions to glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were positive in all 19 cases. CONCLUSION: The pathological appearances of PXA are distinctive. MR imaging could display the morphologic features exactly, and has important diagnostic value for PXA.

Sporadic meningioangiomatosis-associated atypical meningioma mimicking parenchymal invasion of brain: a case report and review of the literature.

Meningioangiomatosis is a rare hamartomatous lesion or meningiovascular malformation in brain. In extremely rare condition, meningioma may occur together with meningioangiomatosis, and only 19 cases have been described in English literature until now. We now report a case of meningioangiomatosis-associated meningioma with atypical and clear cell variant. A 34-year-old man presented a 3-month history of progressive numbness and weakness of his left lower extremity. He had no stigmata of neurofibromatosis type 2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed multifocal lesions in the right frontoparietal lobe. The lesions were totally removed. Microscopically, parts of lesions were atypical and clear cell meningioma corresponding to WHO grade II. The adjacent brain parenchyma showed the histological features of meningioangiomatosis. Neoplastic cells in atypical meningioma area were immunoreactive to epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) with high MIB-1 index of up to 20%. However, the spindle cells in meningioangiomatosis area were negative for EMA with low MIB-1 index of up to 1%. The diagnosis of atypical meningioma associated with sporadic meningioangiomatosis was made. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a meningioangiomatosis-associated meningioma with atypical and clear cell variant component to be described. The patient had been followed-up for 11 months without adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy. No tumor recurrence was found during this period. Meningioangiomatosis-associated meningioma is more likely to occur in younger patients and histologically to mimic parenchymal invasion of brain. We suggest that postoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy should be given careful consideration to avoid over-treatment due to erroneously interpret as malignant meningioma.

Segmented echo planar MR imaging of the brachial plexus with inversion recovery magnetization preparation at 3.0T.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the image quality of segmented echo planar MRI with inversion recovery magnetization preparation (seg-IR-EPI) to depict the anatomy and pathologic changes involving the brachial plexus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The coronal seg-IR-EPI sequence was performed on 30 healthy volunteers and 20 patients. Postprocessing techniques were used to generate images of brachial plexus and the images acquired were qualitatively evaluated by two experienced radiologists based on grading of the morphological images. Signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and nerve soft tissue contrast-to-noise-ratios (CNRs) were calculated and the normalized SNR (SNRn) and the normalized CNR (CNRn) were compared with the STIR TSE sequence. RESULTS: Although seg-IR-EPI had more ghosting artifacts than STIR TSE, excellent general image appearance with minor blurring can be achieved with seg-IR-EPI. In all healthy volunteers the means of CNRn were significantly greater for seg-IR-EPI than for STIR-TSE, while the means of SNRn were significantly lower for seg-IR-EPI than for STIR-TSE. CONCLUSION: In the present study the seg-IR-EPI sequence obtained uniform fat suppression and high-contrast T2-weighted images of brachial plexus. Our data suggest that the seg-IR-EPI sequence may provide high fidelity in evaluating brachial plexus.

3-T imaging of the cranial nerves using three-dimensional reversed FISP with diffusion-weighted MR sequence.

PURPOSE: To depict the normal anatomy of cranial nerves in detail and define the exact relationships between cranial nerves and adjacent structures with three-dimensional reversed fast imaging with steady-state precession (FISP) (3D-PSIF) with diffusion-weighted MR sequence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 3D-PSIF with diffusion-weighted MR sequence was performed and axial images were obtained in 22 healthy volunteers. Postprocessing techniques were used to generate images of cranial nerves, and the images acquired were compared with anatomical sections and textbook diagrams. RESULTS: In all subjects, 3D-PISF sequence could produce homogeneous images and high contrast between the cranial nerves and other solid structures. The intracranial portions of all cranial nerves except the olfactory nerve were identified; the extracranial portions of nerves II-XII, except the nerves within the cavernous sinuses, were identified in all subjects bilaterally. CONCLUSION: The 3D-PSIF with diffusion-weighted sequence can characterize the normal MR appearance of cranial nerves and its branches. The ability to define the nerves may provide greater sensitivity and specificity in detecting abnormalities of craniofacial structure.

The state of the art of fetal magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the state of the art of fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in China. DATA SOURCES: Both Chinese and English language literatures were searched in the databases of PUBMED (1998-2005) and CNKI (1998-2005), 41 published articles about fetal MRI were selected. RESULTS: Fetal MRI can serve as an adjunct tool for ultrasonography because of its excellent soft tissue contrast, high spatial resolution, multiplanar capabilities, large field of view and simultaneous visualization of fetal and maternal structures. Since the development of ultrafast MRI sequences provides faster scan time and avoids motion artifacts, it is widely applied in detecting normal or abnormal fetal development, including the central nervous system, thoracic region, abdomen and others. In China, experience in fetal MRI has been scanty, but the technique will be extensively used in the near future because of its multi-faceted advantages. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with ultrasonography, MRI as a complementary imaging for fetal screening is prospective in China or other parts of the world because of its multiple superiorities.

Neuroradiological findings of intracranial schwannomas not arising from the stems of cranial nerves.

Four cases of intracranial schwannomas not arising from the stems of cranial nerves are reported. All cases were confirmed by surgery and pathological examination. The related histogenesis and the CT and MRI findings are discussed, and the literature is reviewed. The CT and MRI findings of these tumours were analysed retrospectively and their pathological characteristics were reviewed. The tumours presented as heterogeneous hypointense to isointense mixed dense lesions with multiple areas of cystic degeneration and necrosis. Extensive cystic degeneration was the prominent characteristic on CT. The tumours showed hypointense to isointense signal on T(1) weighted images and heterogeneous hyperintense signal on T(2) weighted images. On contrast enhanced CT and MRI, the solid component and the wall of the tumours showed moderate to strong enhancement. Haematoxylin and eosin staining of the lesion demonstrated two histological patterns, Antoni type A and Antoni type B. Immunostaining showed intense immunoreactivity for S-100 protein. The CT and MRI findings of these tumours were similar to those of schwannomas arising from cranial nerves, although the former show a higher rate of cystic degeneration. Therefore, even when a mass is not in the usual cranial nerve region, if its imaging characteristics are similar to those of common schwannomas, the possibility of a schwannoma not arising from cranial nerve should be considered.

Central neurocytoma: a clinicopathological and neuroradiological study.

Central neurocytoma (CNC) is an uncommon benign tumor of the central nervous system (CNS) occurring in adults and is more likely to be located in the region of the foramina of Monra. Few studies have described the neuroradiological features of CNC, and most are single case reports. Our aim was to analyze the clinicopathological and neuroradiological characteristics of CNC. We retrospectively studied the preoperative CT (n=2) and MRI (n=5) of three men and two women (mean age 45 years, ranging from 30 to 63 years) with pathologically proven CNC. The tumors were primarily located in the region of the foramina of Monra. Two of them occupied the lateral ventricle, appearing to be attached to the septum pellucidum, and the other three tumors arose from the septum pellucidum and extended into the lateral ventricles. The tumors were of mixed density with cystic features and patchy or fine calcification on noncontrast CT scans, and they were of low or isointense signal on T1- and heterogeneously hyperintense signal on T2- and FLAIR weighted images. Contrast enhancement varied greatly from very slight to intense. Immunohistochemical staining showed a positive reaction for synaptophysin (Syn), neuro-specific enclase (NSE), neurofilament protein (NF) in the tumor cells and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) in the fibrillar zones. CNC should be taken into consideration first if a tumor arises from the region of the foramina of Monra with CNC neuroradiological characteristics and the patient is an adult.